Students must have a bachelor's degree from an approved institution. A complete application for admissions includes: a resume, three letters of recommendation from appropriate professionals, an essay, and participation in an admissions interview. To be admitted into the program, applicants must have a minimum grade point average of 2.8 in undergraduate coursework. Students must also have Pennsylvania Child Abuse History clearance and the Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Record Check (ACT 33 & ACT 34 clearances) dated within a year of application. Formal admittance to the program is required before enrolling in courses. Program director approval may be given for students to transfer up to 12 semester hours of credits earned at a CACREP accredited program. Program director approval may be given for students to transfer up to six semester hours of credits earned at a non-CACREP accredited institution, subject to Gannon University Graduate program policy.

International applicants must provide evidence of successful achievement on the TOEFL of 95 and/or 7.0 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Examination sub-scores will also be considered as important to overall applicant qualification. IELTS- 7, TOEFL BT-95,